Multi-layered disposable shower curtain

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a shower curtain made of a backing sheet and several disposable layers. The backing sheet defines the overall size and shape of the shower curtain. The disposable layers are separably adhered to each other so as to be individually removable in sequence. At least one disposable layer is removably adhered to the backing sheet. The backing sheet and each disposable layer provide a barrier against water and are substantially aligned with each other, except for perhaps near one edge of the backing sheet for purposes of facilitating individual removal of disposable layers.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/786,465 filed Mar. 28, 2006, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/793,165, filed Apr. 18, 2006, which are incorporatedherein in their entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to shower curtains. More specifically, thisinvention relates to a shower curtain lining having separably adhereddisposable layers of polymer that can be individually removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The environment in which a shower may be located, such as a bathroom orlocker room, serves a number of different purposes. Functionally, ashowering environment can accommodate a showering area as well as asink, cabinetry, drawers, a toilet, mirrors, and a variety of otherfeatures relating to personal hygiene and grooming. A shower environmentalso serve an aesthetic role. The choice of fixtures, colors, materials,and lighting, for example, may all contribute to creating an overallappearance or theme for the environment.

An important aspect of both the functional and aesthetic components of ashower environment is water usage and water management. The presencewater is a vital component for a bathroom, locker room, or other showerenvironment to able to fulfill its intended purpose of allowing a userto bathe. In the absence of proper water management, however, waterusage can be an extraordinarily destructive force. It can facilitate thegrowth of mold and other harmful of undesirable microorganisms, visiblymar exposed surface, and accelerate structural decay.

Showering areas, therefore, present unique dilemmas in water usage andmanagement. A shower user commonly requires that water be continuouslydispersed throughout a large showering area for bathing or otherpurposes. Since a readily accessible opening is necessary to enable theuser to easily enter and exit the showering area, there is also asubstantial opportunity for unintended and undesired loss of water dueto splashing, spraying, and other forms of dispersion. Typically, thisdispersion is contained by installing a movable physical barrier acrossthe opening. For example, the barrier can be a substantially rigidstructure, such as a glass or plastic door, or a flexible showercurtain.

Though a shower door or curtain may substantially contain waterdispersion within the showering area, a number of problems may ariseover time. For example, water residue may leave undesirable streaking onthe surface of the barrier, a combination of prolonged exposure to waterand high temperatures can foster rapid growth of mold, bacteria, orother harmful microorganisms, while excess or washed-away hygieneproducts can accumulate on the surface of the shower curtain or door.Therefore, without vigilant maintenance or periodic replacement, thebarrier can quickly become an aesthetic detraction.

Shower curtains can be especially susceptible to prolonged deteriorationbecause they are both difficult to clean and difficult to replace.Unlike shower doors, shower curtains are flexible. Though thisflexibility can make installation easier and aesthetically enhance ashower environment, it effectively requires that the shower curtain becompletely removed to be properly cleaned. Since most shower curtainscannot be removed without first detaching a mounting rod or a largenumber of coupling members (e.g., hooks)—steps that significantlyincrease the time and effort involved—most users simply discard a showercurtain after a certain point rather clean the shower curtain. Anotheraspect that adds to the difficulty of maintaining cleanliness is thatshower curtains also commonly extend below the top of the outer showeror tub wall.

To preserve the aesthetic appeal of a shower curtain, a shower curtainliner can be used as an intermediate barrier between the showering areaand the shower curtain. The following U.S. patents, the disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety, describevarious types of shower curtain liners (which can also function asshower curtains): U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,155 to Jones, et. al.; U.S. Pat.No. 6,546,571 to Samelson, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,168 to Zoboski;U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,965 to Hinds; U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,603 to Frazier;U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,071 to Lavalle; U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,284 to Wren;U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,715 to Barmak; U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,708 to Hansen;U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,059 to Faragher, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,172 toFaragher, Jr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,120,343 to Wilson.

Shower curtain liners are typically made of thin sheets of polymermaterial. Relative to fabric and other non-polymeric materials, thistends to reduce costs and increase resistance to water damage. Makingshower curtain liners from thin polymer sheets, however, is alsodisadvantageous for a number of reasons. For example, streams of wateror associated air currents that are produced during shower usage cancause deflection of the shower curtain liner. Similarly, shower usagecan lead to a build-up of static electricity that causes the showercurtain liner to cling to a user. This, in turn, reduces the space inthe showering area available to the user for showering purposes and canresult in undesirable contact between the user and the shower curtainliner. Both static electricity and deflection can also cause showercurtain liners to drape improperly. The thinness of the polymer sheetsfrom which shower curtain liners are typically made also furtherexacerbates the effects of everyday wear-and-tear. Specifically,apertures located near the top of shower curtain liners that aredesigned to receive coupling members for hanging purposes can beparticularly vulnerable to ripping or tearing.

In addition to being susceptible to these functional drawbacks, showercurtain liners are also subject to aesthetic deterioration due to theaccumulation of hygienic products and exposure to elevated temperatureand moisture. As is often the case, soap scum and grime can accumulateon a shower curtain. The polymer material from which shower curtains aremost often made also provides a medium on which mold and other organismscan grow. Given the cost and difficultly of cleaning shower curtainliners, most users simply discard a used shower curtain liner once it isno longer aesthetically or hygienically acceptable.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved shower curtain liner withoutthe detriments described above. For purposes of the present invention,the terms “curtain” and “liner” are hereinafter used interchangeablysuch that the term “curtain” includes “liner,” and vice versa, withoutany intended limitation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a shower curtain, or shower curtain liner, madeup of a plurality of separably adhered disposable layers that can beindividually removed. The disposable layers may be removed one-at-a-timeso that a user can expose a new surface of the shower curtain withouthaving to replace the entire shower curtain. This enables the user torefresh the appearance and cleanliness of the shower curtain morefrequently and at a reduced cost. This also enables the user to savetime by eliminating the necessity of completely replacing an existingshower curtain each time a new shower curtain surface is desired.

In a certain embodiment, a multilaminate shower curtain has at leastthree layers of flexible sheet material all of a specific thickness andall of substantially the same dimensions, each layer impermeable towater, the layers adhered to one another and removably peelable from oneanother. The shower curtain is a rectangular when unflexed and unfoldedand has a reinforced upper margin portion for facilitating hanging ofthe shower curtain. In certain embodiments the margin portion has aplurality of spaced holes.

The present invention has a first backing sheet that defines the overallsize and shape of the shower curtain and serves as a backing fordisposable layers. The disposable layers are adhered to each other andto the backing sheet in such a way as to allow the layers to minimizethe likelihood of air gaps between the layers and so that each layer maybe individually removed from the shower curtain and thereafter disposed.Examples of other applications in which stacks of individually separabledisposable layers have been used are described in the following U.S.patents and patent applications, the disclosures of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety: U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,055 toJanssen, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,488 to Janssen, et al; U.S. Pat.No. 6,461,709 to Janssen, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,453 to Akiwa, etal; U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,737 to Blackwell, et al; U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,730to Baus, et al.; Publication No. 2005/0200154 A1 to Barbee, et al.;Publication No. 2005/0106965 A1 to Wevers, et al.; Publication No.2004/0050324 A1 to Copp; and Publication No. 2004/0001932 to Krause, etal. These patents and published applications disclose various suitablematerials and thicknesses of layers, methods of manufacturing, andmechanisms of adherence of sheets that may be suitable herein.

The disposable layers are preferably peelable, but may be disposed inany manner that enables the layers to be individually separable, such asby electrostatic attraction. To facilitate peeling, the individuallyseparable layers may be fused or adhered together and perforated at ornear the top of the curtain or liner. Each layer provides a waterbarrier and may be aligned with the backing sheet and each of the otherlayers. The layers may cover one side or both sides of the backingsheet.

The disposable layers can have the same or different physicalcharacteristics as the backing sheet. For example, the disposable layersand the first sheet may have the same thickness, size, shape, anddecorative features. Alternatively, the disposable layers may be thinnerthan the backing sheet. The disposable layers may also be smallerarea-wise than the first sheet, providing protective covering to only aselected portion of the shower curtain.

Just as the disposable layers may be different than the first layer, asingle disposable layer may be slightly or substantially different thanthe other disposable layers. For example, one layer may be smaller orlarger than an adjacent layer in one or more dimensions, such as length.Similarly, a tab or other functionality may be present near the top orupper side. The difference in dimensions and placement of tabs or otherfunctionality may be incrementally offset so as to enable a user to moreeasily distinguish one individual layer from an adjacent layer andremove a layer.

The disposable layers may be completely transparent so as to allow anoptionally decorative feature of the first layer to be seen. Thedisposable layers may also be partially transparent, opaque, containtheir own decorative feature, or function with successive layers or thebacking sheet to cooperatively create a decorative effect. When theoutermost layer is sufficiently dirty or when a user so chooses, theuser may remove the outermost layer. The presence of multiple disposablelayers allows a user to keep the same curtain or liner for a period oftime, such as several weeks or even more than a year, without having topainstakingly clean or replace the entire shower curtain. The durationthat a curtain or liner remains hung in a shower environment, therefore,depends primarily upon how often the user chooses to remove a layer andthe number of disposable layers included with the unit.

The present invention provides several features and advantages. It maybe used alone or as a liner for a fabric shower curtain. In either use,the present invention reduces the amount of water that escapes from ashowering area and into other areas of a shower environment. It alsoallows a user to quickly obtain a clean shower curtain surface withouthaving to clean or replace the existing shower curtain. The presentinvention can also be configured so that the individual removal ofdisposable layers sequentially alters the appearance of the showercurtain and is optimized to correspond to an estimated or intendedlife-span of the backing sheet or the entire shower curtain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a showering area having a showercurtain.

FIG. 2 a is a top cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 b is a top cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention without adhesive.

FIG. 3 is a top cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front or rear view of a portion of a shower curtain withcoupling members attached.

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view of a portion of a shower curtainaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

Please note that the figures are not drawn to scale, nor are therelative thicknesses indicative of any thickness ratios.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts shower curtain 10 hanging from curtain rod 7 via couplingmembers 9 in a typical showering area 5. Curtain rod 7 is positionedbetween walls 8. Shower curtain 10 hangs down such that lower portion 6hangs inside or outside bathtub 1. Shower curtain 10 reduces the amountof water dispersed from shower head 2 or from faucet 3 that leavesshowering area 5. In an example embodiment, lower portion 6 hangs insidebathtub 1.

In general, shower curtain 10 has outer surface 25 and inner surface 26.Shower curtain 10 may be oriented such that either outer surface 25 orinner surface 26 faces toward the inside of showering area 5. Showercurtain 10 has at least one disposable layer disposed to a base layer.In an example embodiment, the base layer is backing sheet 20 that hasdifferent thickness than the disposable layer. Multiple disposablelayers can be disposed on the same side of backing sheet 20, as in theembodiment depicted in FIG. 2. Multiple disposable layers can also bedisposed on both sides of backing sheet 20, as in the embodimentdepicted in FIG. 3. In yet another embodiment, which is not depicted,none of the individually separable layers is disposed on backing sheet20. Various configurations in which a disposable layer is disposed onbacking sheet 20 and on other disposable layers can be used to affectthe manner in which the layers are sequentially removed.

A top view of a cross section of shower curtain 10 according to theembodiment depicted in FIG. 2. In accordance with FIG. 2, first, second,and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23 and optional additional layersmay be disposed on either side of backing sheet 20 so as to be orientedtoward outer surface 25 or inner surface 26. Backing sheet 20 has afirst side surface 20.1 and a second side surface 20.2. First layer ofpolymer sheet 21 has a first side surface 21.1 and a second side surface21.2. Second layer of polymer sheet 22 has a first side surface 22.1 anda second side surface 22.2. Although only first, second, and thirddisposable sheets 21, 22, 23 are depicted in FIG. 2, shower curtain 10may contain a multiplicity of disposable layers. In an exampleembodiment, shower curtain 10 contains three or more disposable layers.In other embodiments, shower curtain 10 contains fewer than threedisposable layers. Although shower curtain 10 be may installed in anynumber of ways, the advantages of shower curtain 10 having individuallyseparable layers are most fully realized when the surface to which thedisposable layers are attached, such as inner surface 26 as depicted inFIG. 2, faces the inside of showering area 5.

A top view of a cross section of shower curtain 10 according to anotherembodiment is depicted in FIG. 3. First, second and third disposablelayers 21, 22, 23, and optional additional layers, are disposed on bothsides of backing sheet 20. Although only first, second and thirddisposable sheets 21, 22, 23 are depicted in FIG. 3, shower curtain 10may contain any number of disposable layers. In an example embodiment,shower curtain 10 contains three or more disposable layers disposed onone side of backing sheet 20 and three or more disposable layersdisposed on the other side of backing sheet 20. In other embodiments,shower curtain 10 contains fewer than three disposable layers disposedon each side of backing sheet 20. The number of disposable layersdisposed on each side of backing sheet 20 may be the same or may bedifferent.

First, second and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23, and optionaladditional layers, may be disposed on backing sheet 20 in any number ofways to facilitate individual removal. In an example embodiment, firstdisposable layer 21 is adhered to backing sheet 20. Second disposablelayer 22 is adhered to first disposable layer 21. Third disposable layer23 is adhered to second disposable layer 22. Optional additionaldisposable layers may be sequentially disposed in a similar fashion tocreate shower curtain 10 having a desired number of disposable layers.In another embodiment, first, second, and third disposable layers 21,22, 23 and optional additional layers may also be adhered to backingsheet 20 at or near edge 29 of backing sheet 20.

First, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23, and optionaladditional layers, may or may not be folded over and around edge 29 ofbacking sheet 20. Disposable layers are not typically folded over andaround edge 29 in the embodiment of shower curtain 10 depicted in FIG. 2in which disposable layers are disposed on only one side of backingsheet 20. In the embodiment of shower curtain 10 depicted in FIG. 3,however, disposable layers are typically folded over and around edge ofshower curtain 10, as depicted in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 5, edge 29about which disposable layers are folder may be bottom edge 31, sideedges 32, 33, or top edge 34. In an example embodiment, edge 29 isbottom edge 31.

In embodiments of shower curtain 10 in which disposable layers arefolded over edge 29, first disposable layer 21 is typically folded overand around edge 29 of backing sheet 20. Similarly, second disposablelayer 22 is folded over and around the edge of 29 of backing sheet 20.Since second disposable layer 22 is also folded over and around firstdisposable layer 21, second disposable layer 22 has a larger radius forthe turn around edge 29 than first disposable layer 21 has. Althoughfirst and second disposable layers 21, 22, 23 and optional additionallayers may be folded over and around different edges 31, 32, 33, 34,disposable layers are typically folded over and around the same edge 29as, for example, bottom edge 31.

Disposable layers may also be secured over and around edge 29 by formingpinched-together edges 61, 62, as depicted in FIG. 6. Although onlyfirst and second disposable layers 21, 22 are depicted in FIG. 6, showercurtain 10 may contain any number of disposable layers that formpinched-together edges 61, 62. In this embodiment, two separate sheetsof first disposable layer 21 a, 21 b are adhered to each other at ornear edge 29 of backing sheet 20. The two separate sheets of firstdisposable layer 21 a, 21 b and first pinched-together edge 61 extendpast edge 29 of backing sheet 20. Two additional separate sheets ofsecond disposable layer 22 a, 22 b are adhered to each other at or nearsecond pinched edge 62. The two separate sheets of second disposablelayer 22 a, 22 b may also be adhered to the two separate sheets of firstdisposable layer 21 a, 21 b. The two separate sheets of seconddisposable layer 22 a, 22 b and second pinched-together edge 62 extendpast the first pinched-together edge 61. Similarly, additionaldisposable layers can be adhered to each other to form apinched-together edge extending past the pinched-together edge of theprevious layer and adhered to surface of the previous layer. Thisapproach allows first and second disposable layers 31, 32 and optionaladditional layers to be more easily removed in sequence. First andsecond disposable layers 31, 32, and optional additional layers, mayhave approximately the same size or may have different sizes.

To facilitate identification of the edge of the outer-most disposablelayer and subsequent removal of the outer-most layer, the sizes ofdisposable layers can be incrementally changed in one dimension. Asdepicted in FIG. 7, this creates a stepped-configuration 70 ofdisposable layers at or near edge 29 of backing sheet 20. For example,if edge 29 of backing sheet 20 as shown in FIG. 7 is bottom edge 31,first disposable layer 21 may be disposed so that first disposable-layeredge 71 substantially aligns with bottom edge 31. Second disposablelayer 22 may be disposed so that second disposable-layer edge 72 isslightly above first disposable-layer edge 71. Third disposable layer 23may be disposed so that third disposable-layer edge 73 is slightly abovesecond disposable-layer edge 72. Additional disposable layers may bedisposed so that additional disposable-layer edges are slightly aboveprevious disposable layer edges.

Identification and subsequent removal of the outer-most disposable layercan also be facilitated by folding different lengths of disposablelayers over backing sheet 20. Specifically, disposable layers may befolded over and about edge 29 to form folded stepped-configuration 80,as depicted in FIG. 8. The sizes of disposable layers can also beincrementally enlarged such that disposable-layer edges extend beyondedge 29, such as bottom edge 31, to form a reverse foldedstepped-configuration.

First, second, and third disposable layers, 21, 22, 23 and optionaladditional layers may be secured around multiple edges 29 of backingsheet 20 using one or any combination of the described configurations.For example, disposable layers may be folded over and about top edge 34of backing sheet 20 and form pinched-together edges over and aboutbottom edge 31 of backing sheet 20. Similarly, disposable layers may befolded or form pinched-together edges over and about top edge 34 ofbacking sheet 20 and form stepped-configuration 70 at or near bottomedge 31 of backing sheet 20. One skilled in the art can readily discernthat the attachment configurations and edges can be mixed and matched toform a number of different embodiments of shower curtain 10.

Backing sheet 20, first, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23,and optional additional layers can be adhered in any number of ways.Generally, all layers should be adhered in a way that minimizes air gapsbetween disposable layers. In an example embodiment, backing sheet 20,first, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23, and optionaladditional layers are adhered by electro-static attraction between thematerials from which they are made. In other embodiments, such asdepicted in FIGS. 2-8, disposable layers and backing sheet 20 can beadhered with adhesive layer 24. Adhesive layer 24 may comprise a bondingmaterial such as glue or epoxy.

Backing sheet 20, first, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23,and optional additional layers may be made of the same material ordifferent materials. In an example embodiment, backing sheet 20 anddisposable layers are made from a polymer material, such aspolyethylene, polyurethane, vinyl, polyvinyl chloride, or any suitablematerial, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,055 to Janssen. Thepolymer material may itself hinder or prevent the growth of mold or becoated with a material that hinders or prevents the growth of mold. Ifadhesive layer 24 is also used, adhesive layer 24 may be a glue, anepoxy, or any other suitable bonding material, such as those mentionedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,055 to Janssen.

Backing sheet 20, first, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23,and optional additional layers may have the same thickness or havedifferent thicknesses. The thickness of backing sheet 20 may be in arange of about one-tenth of one mil (1 mil=0.001 inches) to about 10mils. In a preferred embodiment the thickness may be in a range of about2.5 mils to about 5 mils. In an example embodiment, the thickness ofbacking sheet 20 is about 1 mil. The thickness of disposable layers isin a range of about one-tenth of one mil (1 mil=0.001 inches) to about10 mils. In a preferred embodiment the thickness may be in a range ofabout 2.5 mils to about 5 mils. In an example embodiment, thethicknesses of first, second, and third disposable layers 21, 22, 23 andoptional additional layers are substantially similar or identical andare in one embodiment between about two-and-one-half mils and about fivemils.

To minimize unintended water dispersion within the shower environment,shower curtain 10 is generally suspended so that lower portion 6 ofshower curtain 10 hangs down within or outside bathtub 1. As depicted inFIG. 1, shower curtain 10 is suspended from shower curtain rod 12 withcoupling members 9. Shower curtain 10 has a plurality of apertures 11through which coupling members 9 can be removably attached. Generally,apertures 11 are pre-formed in shower curtain 10. Alternatively, a usermay be required to punch out die-cut plugs from shower curtain 10 toform apertures 11 through which coupling members 9 can be attached.Coupling members 9 are typically made of a resilient material, such asplastic of metal. Small gaps in coupling members 9 can be temporarilyexpanded or deformed so that hook is made to fit around shower curtainrod 12. Resiliency of coupling members 9 allows coupling members 9 tosubstantially return to their original shape once fitted around showercurtain rod 12. The gaps in coupling members 9 is small enough so thatcoupling members 9 cannot be removed from or fall off of shower curtainrod 12 without further expansion or deformation of coupling members 9.The gaps in coupling members 9 are also large enough to fit around edge29 of shower curtain 10 where apertures 11 may be located.

Although apertures 11 may be any number of sizes and shapes, apertures11 are ideally circular and sized to receive any number readilyavailable coupling members 9, such as circular suspension hooks,designed to suspend shower curtain 10 from shower curtain rod 12. Thediameter of apertures 11 may be in the range of about one-sixteenth ofone inch to about one-and-one-half inches. The diameter of apertures 11may also be in the range of about one-eighth of one inch to aboutthree-quarters of one-inch. In an example embodiment, the diameter ofapertures 11 is about one-quarter of one inch.

Apertures 11 may be positioned in any arrangement near edge 29 of showercurtain 10. Each aperture, however, is generally located substantiallythe same distance from top edge 34 of shower curtain 10 as all otherapertures 11. Apertures 11 may be located a distance in the range ofabout one-half of one inch to about eight inches from top edge 34 ofshower curtain 11. In an example embodiment, apertures are locatedapproximately one inch from top edge 34 on the top edge region or marginportion 34.1 of shower curtain 10. To discourage ripping or tearing ofshower curtain 10 at or near apertures 11, apertures 11 may bereinforced in any number of ways. For example, the shower curtainmaterial around apertures 11 may be reinforced by additional layers ofshower curtain material, a heat sealing process, metal grommets, or acombination thereof.

Although the spacing between apertures 11 does not need to be uniform,apertures 36 are generally spaced at equidistant intervals. Ideally,apertures 11 in a shower curtain 10 with lower portion 6 that hangsinside bathtub 1 (e.g., an inner “liner”) are spaced apart so as to becompatible with apertures 11 of shower curtain 10 with lower portion 6that hangs outside bathtub 1 (e.g., an outer “curtain”). The distancebetween two apertures 11 may be in the range of about one inch to abouteighteen inches. In an example embodiment, the distance between twoapertures is approximately six and three-eighths inches. Aperture 11closest to side edges 31, 32 of shower curtain 10 may be located fromside edges 31, 32 a distance of approximately one-half of theinter-aperture spacing. In an example embodiment, aperture 11 is locatedapproximately three and three-sixteenths inches from side edge 31 andanother aperture 11 is located approximately three and three-sixteenthsinches from side edge 32. The spacing of apertures 11 can also serve tofacilitate and maintain pleating of shower curtain 10, as depicted inFIG. 1. Pleating of shower curtain 10 generally occurs when the width ofshower curtain 10 exceeds the length of shower curtain rod 12. Pleatingof shower curtain 11 may also occur when shower curtain 10 is forced toone side shower wall 8, such as when a user enters or exits bathtub 1.Shower curtain 10 typically folds, or pleats, such that shower curtain11 has a convex shape at or near apertures 11 and a concave shape at ornear the midpoint of apertures 11, or vice versa.

Shower curtain 10 may be any suitable shape that discourages unintendeddispersion of water from showering area 5. Top edge 34, bottom edge 31,and side edges 32, 33 may all be substantially similar such that showercurtain 10 has a substantially square unfolded shape. Top edge 34,bottom edge 31, and side edges 32, 33 may also have any number ofdifferent dimensions such that the shape of shower curtain is a rhombus,a trapezoid, or a parallelogram. In an example embodiment, showercurtain 10 is rectangular in shape such that top edge 34 and bottom edge31 (which define the width of shower curtain 10) have substantiallysimilar lengths and side edges 32, 33 (which define the height of showercurtain 10) have substantially similar lengths.

Shower curtain 10 should be sized to substantially span the area betweenwalls 8 of showering area 10 and between shower curtain rod 12 and topof bathtub 1. Ideally, shower curtain 10 has lower portion 6 thatextends below top of bathtub 1 or other water-containment basin and canextend coextensively between walls 8. Because showering areas 5 may varyin size, it is anticipated that shower curtain 10 will also vary insize. Therefore, shower curtain 10 may have a width (unfolded andunpleated) in the range of about twenty-four inches to about two-hundredtwenty inches and a height in the range of about twenty-four inches toabout one-hundred twenty inches. In an example embodiment, showercurtain 10 has dimensions of about seventy to seventy-two inches wide byabout seventy-two inches high. This embodiment may correspond to showercurtains and shower curtain liners characterized in the art as “fullsize.” Full-size embodiments typically comprise twelve grommets. Inanother example embodiment, shower curtain 10 has dimensions of aboutfifty to fifty-four inches wide by about seventy-two inches high. Thisembodiment may correspond to shower curtains and shower curtain linerscharacterized in the art as “wide stall size.” Wide stall-sizeembodiments typically comprise nine grommets. In another exampleembodiment, shower curtain 10 has dimensions of about forty to forty-twoinches wide by about seventy-two inches high. This embodiment maycorrespond to shower curtains and shower curtain liners characterized inthe art as “stall size.” Stall-size embodiments typically comprise eightgrommets.

1. A shower curtain comprising: a flexible polymer backing sheet havinga first side surface; a first layer of a polymer sheet having a firstside surface and a second side surface, the first side surface manuallyseparably adhered and coextensive to the first side surface of thebacking sheet; a second layer of a polymer sheet having a first sidesurface and a second side surface, said first side surface of the secondlayer manually separably adhered to the second side surface of the firstlayer, and the layers having an unfolded rectangular shape with a marginportion adapted to receive a plurality of coupling members for hangingthe shower curtain; wherein the first and second layers of polymer sheetare substantially impermeable to water.
 2. The shower curtain of claim1, wherein the flexible polymer backing sheet and the first layer of thepolymer sheet have substantially the same area.
 3. The shower curtain ofclaim 2, wherein the first layer of the polymer sheet is substantiallyaligned with the flexible polymer backing sheet.
 4. The shower curtainof claim 1, wherein the margin portion adapted to receive the pluralityof coupling members comprises a plurality of removable die-cut plugs. 5.The shower curtain of claim 1, wherein the edge region adapted toreceive the plurality of coupling member comprises a plurality ofapertures aligned substantially linearly.
 6. The shower curtain of claim5, wherein the flexible polymer backing sheet is formed of awater-impermeable polymer material.
 7. The shower curtain of claim 5,wherein there are a plurality of additional impermeable polymer sheetsseparably adhered to the second layer.
 8. The shower curtain of claim 7,wherein a space between a pair of the apertures when the shower curtainis flat and unfolded is in the range of between four and eight inches.9. The shower curtain of claim 7, wherein the apertures are positionedin the range of approximately one half inch to two inches from a topedge of the shower curtain.
 10. The shower curtain of claim 1, whereinthe first layer of polymer is folded over an edge of the flexiblepolymer backing sheet and is coextensively disposed on a back surface ofthe flexible polymer backing sheet.
 11. The shower curtain of claim 1,further comprising a first layer of adhesive intermediate a frontsurface of the flexible backing sheet and the first layer of polymer.12. The shower curtain of claim 1, wherein the flexible backing sheet issubstantially opaque.
 13. The shower curtain of claim 1, wherein thefirst layer of polymer is substantially transparent.
 14. The showercurtain of claim 1, wherein the first layer of polymer comprises aplurality of perforations that facilitate removal of the first layer ofpolymer from the flexible polymer backing sheet.
 15. The shower curtainof claim 1, wherein the first layer and second layer are adhered withoututilizing adhesives.
 16. The shower curtain of claim 1, wherein theflexible backing sheet is of a polymer material has a thickness of about0.0001 inch to about 0.010 inches.
 17. The shower curtain of claim 1,wherein the first layer and second layers of polymer have a thickness ofabout 0.0001 inch to about 0.010 inches.
 18. The shower curtain of claim1, wherein the first layer and second layers of polymer have a thicknessof about 0.0025 inches to about 0.005 inches.
 19. A shower curtaincomprising multiple layers of polymer sheets, the sheets manuallyseparable for disposed of individual ones of said sheets, the showercurtain having a margin portion adapted for hanging the curtain.
 20. Theshower curtain of claim 19, wherein the multi-layers are adhered withoututilizing any adhesives.
 21. The shower curtain of claim 19, wherein anedge of a layer of polymer sheet is slightly offset from an adjacentparallel edge of an adjacent layer of polymer sheet for facilitatingpeeling.
 22. The shower curtain of claim 19, wherein each of the layershas a thickness of about 0.001 inches to about 0.010 inches.
 23. Theshower curtain of claim 19, wherein the multi-layer are separablyadhered by electrostatic attraction.
 24. A multilaminate shower curtainhaving an rectangular shape with a plurality of manually peelable layersall substantially the same size, the layers individually peelablewhereby they may be individually discarded.